Chapter 2 Vivian #2
My knees wobbled, and I had to grab the counter for support. “You insane, reckless fool,” I breathed, barely able to believe what I was hearing. “You entered a contest where the penalty for failure is death, and you drained our account to do it?”
“Look,” Will said, stepping forward, his expression pleading now. “There’s no turning back. The entry fee is non-refundable, and if I don’t show up, they’ll come after me. You know how it works down there.”
I closed my eyes, trying to steady my breathing, to fight off the panic clawing at my insides. “How do we get you out of this?”
“There’s no getting out of it, Viv. The contest is tonight. If I’m late, they’ll take it as a sign of cowardice, and trust me, that’s not something you want in The Below.”
“And you want me to go with you? Why?”
He tried to smile, but it was more of a grimace. “Moral support. And, well... if it’s the last time we see each other, I’d rather you be there.”
“Fuck, Will.” I shook my head. But as furious as I was, as terrified as his words made me, I couldn’t let him face this alone. “Fine,” I said through gritted teeth. “I’ll go. But we’re going to talk about this later.”
Will grinned, excitement briefly overshadowing the fear. “Thank you, Viv. I promise, it’s all going to work out. You’ll see.”
I had a bad feeling it wouldn’t, but what choice did I have? I couldn’t let him walk into The Below alone.
“Go get dressed,” he said, checking his watch. “We have an hour before we need to leave. And, uh... try to look the part.”
I glared at him but stomped to my room without saying another word.
As I shut the door behind me, I couldn’t shake the gnawing fear that this was a mistake.
Will was all I had left, though, and if there was even a chance I could protect him, I’d walk into the depths of The Below and face the devils lurking there.
Even if it meant we might not walk back out.
The chill night breeze pricked at my skin as we made our way down the damp, dark alley that led to the tear in the Veil.
I kept my steps quick and light, trying to keep up with Will as he navigated the winding streets like he knew them by heart.
I didn’t, but I had enough sense to know we were getting closer to a part of town where most people wouldn’t dare venture.
Here, the shadows seemed to swallow every hint of moonlight, the atmosphere thick with a foreboding that made my nerves scream.
The moment we stepped through the tear, it was like entering another world.
The air was colder, filled with an unnatural chill that sent a shiver down my spine.
The landscape beyond was darker, more oppressive, as if we’d crossed into the belly of some ancient beast. For the first few minutes, we walked in silence, the damp, moss-covered ground muffling our footsteps.
I couldn’t see more than five feet in front of me because the mist swallowed everything that dared to move.
I spotted Carl immediately. He stood like a statue, arms crossed over his broad chest, the faint glow of his Veil Guard badge barely visible against his dark jacket.
Carl was a large, imposing figure with a jaw that looked like it could crack walnuts and a permanent scowl that made you think twice before pissing him off, but I knew he was a softie at heart—at least, he had a soft spot for Celeste.
Will strode forward with more confidence than I thought was warranted, given the situation. I stayed a step behind, my gaze darting around for any signs of danger. There were none yet, but that didn’t mean we were safe.
Carl’s eyes snapped to us the second we approached. “What’s your business here?” His voice was a low growl that could shake you down to your bones if you weren’t anticipating it.
Will didn’t flinch. He leaned in close and whispered, “Moonshatter.”
Carl’s eyebrows raised just a fraction. He shifted his weight, eyeing Will like he was trying to decide if he was worth the trouble. Then, with agonizing slowness, he stepped aside, throwing a scrutinizing look in my direction.
“Well, well, if it isn’t Vivian,” Carl said, the corners of his lips twitching into a shadow of a smile. “How’s Celeste? Haven’t seen her passing through for a while.”
I forced a smile, praying my nerves didn’t show on my face. “She’s good, Carl. Busy as always, you know how it is.”
“Tell her I said hi,” he rumbled, his eyes lingering on me a moment too long.
“Will do.” My heart was pounding, but somehow I managed to keep my tone light.
After we’d walked past the line of supernatural beings waiting to cross over into the human world, I couldn’t take it anymore. “Where the hell are we going, Will?”
He pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket and squinted at it. There wasn’t much light here save for a distant, flickering lantern. “The convention is just past the border of the Wraith territory,” he said casually, like we were heading to the corner store to pick up milk.
I stopped dead in my tracks. “Wraith territory?” My voice rose, and I had to force myself to lower it. “Will, are you out of your fucking mind? Do you even know what kind of horrors lurk in that place?”
Will shrugged, an infuriatingly calm expression on his face. “Yeah, yeah, dead people and shit. What’s the big deal?”
I clenched my fists, resisting the urge to slap some sense into him. “Dead people are just the beginning, Will,” I hissed. “We’re talking about cursed souls who haven’t found peace. Wraiths will drain you dry if you so much as blink the wrong way.”
He shrugged again, checking his watch with maddening nonchalance. “If we don’t keep moving, we’re going to be late. And you don’t want them to kill me before we even get the chance to hear I’m the winner, do you?”
I let out a slow breath. Gods, I wanted to throttle him. “I swear, if they don’t kill you by the end of this night, I will,” I muttered under my breath, loud enough for him to hear but not enough for him to take it seriously.
Will’s laughter was so carefree that I wanted to scream. How could he be so flippant when we were walking into the lion’s den with nothing but a flimsy invitation and a program he’d coded in his bedroom?
We stopped at a parking garage where Roberto’s SUV was still in the same parking spot it always was.
Even though he’d been dead for several months, no one had done anything with his SUV.
I thought for sure someone would realize it wasn’t being used and steal it.
Celeste told me it was there if we ever needed it, and I figured this was a solid reason.
As we drove closer, the oppressive darkness of the nearing Wraith territory seemed to press in on us. I could hear the faintest whispers in the wind, eerie echoes that I tried to convince myself were simply tricks of my mind. But I knew better. The wraiths could smell fear.
I swallowed hard. “We’re unarmed, Will. You do realize that, right?
No weapons, no magic, no way to defend ourselves if things go south.
How exactly do you plan on walking out of there alive if they decide you’re not worth the trouble?
” Will had insisted we leave all weapons and even our cell phones back at the apartment, claiming they’d be confiscated at the door of the convention.
He glanced at me from the passenger seat, a cocky grin on his lips. “We’ll just have to rely on my winning charm, Viv.”
I wanted to shake him, to force him to see the reality of the situation, but I knew it would be no use. He was laser-focused, that dumbass grin plastered onto his face as if he wasn’t about to walk into a fucking death trap.
And what the hell was I doing? I was playing his chauffeur.
If there was one thing I’d learned in all my years of dealing with the underbelly of The Below, it was that loyalty came with a steep price.
Will might have been reckless, but he was all I had left.
And I couldn’t let him face this madness alone.
As we reached the border, I could see various expensive cars and sleek limousines lined up, dropping off passengers who looked like they belonged at a high-society gala, not at the edge of one of the most dangerous places in The Below.
After parking the SUV, we walked deeper into the shadows.
I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were being watched.
Those unseen eyes were tracking our every move.
If the lords and leaders of the lunar convention didn’t kill Will for his audacity, I had no doubt the wraiths would happily finish the job.
I stopped and scanned the area.
Will turned back to me, impatience etched on his face. “What now, Viv?”
“Nothing,” I muttered, watching the darkness around us uneasily. “Just thinking how convenient it is that the convention is being held here. No Veil Guard oversight, no laws, no rules.”
Will smirked, adjusting the lapels of his jacket. “I know. That’s why it’s perfect. They’ve got complete freedom here. No one to get in their way.”
Great, I thought bitterly as I adjusted my glasses. Of course, he’d find that exciting while I was trying to keep us from getting killed.
I glanced at the crowd dressed in tuxedos, flowing gowns, and dripping with jewels that glittered like stars in the dim light.
They looked like they were heading to some glamorous awards ceremony, not wading into a territory filled with death and decay.
As we walked, I couldn’t help but feel out of place, my practical black dress suddenly too plain and my nerves far too frayed.
I remembered Celeste’s warnings about this place.
Watch for incubi, wraiths, the undead… they’re always looking for their next victim.
To my surprise, the usual haunts were nowhere in sight.
It was unnervingly quiet. No glimmer of red eyes in the shadows, no whispers carried by the wind.
Maybe the convention organizers had paid them off to keep things civilized for the night.
Or maybe they were simply waiting for the right moment to strike.
Either way, I kept my senses sharp, my eyes darting over every shadow and alleyway as we followed the well-dressed throng deeper into the territory.
The path ahead was lined with crumbling buildings that looked like they’d collapse at the slightest touch.
Then, as if it had been pulled from another world entirely, a massive structure loomed ahead.
It was one of the few buildings that seemed untouched by time, its grand stone walls standing tall and imposing against the bleak backdrop.
“Looks like we’re here,” Will said, sounding more excited than he had any right to be.
A line of towering shifters guarded the entrance, each one as massive as a mountain, their eyes scanning the crowd for any sign of trouble. They were security, yes, but also the first line of defense in a place where violence was the only currency that mattered.
One of the shifters, a bear of a man with broad shoulders and arms the size of tree trunks, motioned for me to stop. “Weapons check.”
I raised my arms. I wasn’t stupid enough to try sneaking in anything, especially not here.
His rough hands moved over my body, lingering in places that had nothing to do with checking for weapons.
He palmed my breasts, then slid his hands down to my crotch and rubbed.
My skin crawled at the touch, but I clenched my teeth, trying to remain still even though every muscle in my body was screaming for me to kick the shifter in the balls.
“Hey!” Will snapped, stepping forward, his face flushed with anger. “Get your fucking hands off her!”
The shifter’s hand shot out faster than I could blink. He grabbed Will by the throat and lifted him off the ground like he weighed nothing. “You got a problem, boy? Because I can solve it real quick.”
“Let him go,” I hissed, panic rising in my chest. “He’s with me, okay? Just let him go, and we’ll be on our way.”
The shifter stared at me, his eyes filled with sadistic delight. After a tense beat, he dropped Will like he was a piece of garbage. Will stumbled back, rubbing his neck and shooting the shifter a death glare. Thankfully, he was too smart to voice whatever he was thinking.
“Move along,” the shifter grunted, flicking his hand at the entrance. I grabbed Will’s arm and pulled him forward before he could do something stupid. Again.
Inside the massive hall, the atmosphere was even darker, the tension heavier.
Rows of velvet seats faced a large stage in the center.
There were people everywhere—vampires, fae, demons, shifters—all decked out in their finery, their eyes gleaming with hunger for whatever blood-soaked entertainment awaited us.
An usher in a crisp black suit guided us to a roped-off section near the left side of the stage. I took in the nervous faces of the other contestants as we settled into our seats. They looked like they were about to be fed to the wolves. In a way, they were.
My eyes were drawn to the stage, where an impressive wrestling ring had been set up.
Two hulking men were already in the middle of beating the hell out of each other, their blood spraying across the floor with every brutal punch.
The crowd roared in approval, their cheers echoing off the high, domed ceiling.
“What the hell is this?” I muttered, my stomach churning as one of the fighters delivered a bone-crushing blow that sent his opponent crashing into the ropes.
“Each mafia lord brings their two strongest prisoners to fight,” he explained, though I struggled to hear him over the roar of the crowd. “There are several rounds, and everyone bets on who’ll survive. It keeps the crowd entertained.”
Entertained? I glanced around at the sea of eager faces, their eyes glowing with a sick kind of joy. It was like they were watching a play, not real men being torn apart. I’d seen plenty of brutality in my life, but this… this was a whole new level of fucked up.
“For fuck’s sake, Will. What kind of mess did you drag us into?”
“Relax, Viv.” He flashed me that confident grin of his, like he was in on a joke the rest of us had yet to hear. “We just have to make it through the night, all right? Once I win, it will all be worth it.”
I wasn’t so sure. As I watched another fighter hit the ground, his skull cracking against the floor, I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were in way over our heads. And if Will’s plan went sideways—and it sure as hell felt like it would—I had no idea how we’d get out of this alive.